Stepladder accessory



y 9, l967 B. ROBINSON 3,318,416-

STEPLADDER ACCES SORY Filed Oct. 15, 1965 BILLIE Roemson BY Pg United States Patent 3,318,416 STEPLADDER ACCESSORY Billie Robinson, 1042 N. Centennial St., Indianapolis, Ind. 46222 Filed Oct. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 495,547 Claims. (Cl. 182-214) The present invention relates to a ladder accessory.

Various devices have been conceived for use with a step ladder to avoid placing the weight of the ladder against an eaves trough. Such devices in some cases are also usable to support the ladder on the ridge peak of a roof so that the ladder can be used by a person climbing on the roof. Such prior art devices are not completely satisfactory because attachment or mounting of them on a ladder is relatively difficult and time consuming. Conse quently, one object of the present invention is to provide a ladder accessory which is relatively easily and quickly attached to a ladder.

Another object of this invention is to provide a ladder accessory which is adjustable to fit ladders of different sizes yet which is stable and well integrated.

A further object of this invention is to provide a ladder accessory which is simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture but which is effective and efficient in use.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a ladder accessory which is relatively quickly and easily removed from a ladder.

Related objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

One embodiment of the present invention might include an attachment for ladders having rungs comprising a bracket, said bracket having a pair of recesses adapted to receive and engage adjacent rungs of the ladder, and support means secured to said bracket and adapted to engage an object against which the ladder is supported.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ladder accessory embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section through a ladder showing the manner in which the accessory of the present invention is mounted on the ladder.

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated therein being contemplated as would normally occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is illustrated a ladder accessory including a pair of brackets 11 and a support means '12 secured to the brackets and adapted to engage an object against which a ladder is supported. As is shown in FIG. 4, the supporting means .12 engages the roof 15 of the building when the ladder is in use and thus makes unnecessary the ladder 16 contacting the eaves trough 17. Because of a ball-and-socket connection 20 of each of the brackets to the pad 21 comprising the supporting means, the accessory of the present invention may also be used with the pad 26 positioned at different angles than that shown for ICC supporting the ladder in FIG. 4. Thus, the accessory may be used on roofs having different slopes and also for supporting the ladder itself on the roof with the pad 21 engaging the ridge peak.

Each bracket 11 is preferably cast with flanges 25 and with webbing 26 and includes a pair of recesses 27 and 30. The recess 27 is located on the opposite side of the elongated bracket 1 1 from the recess 30. When the brackets 11 are mounted on the rungs 31 of the ladder, the recesses 27 and 30 are positioned on the sides of the rungs which cause the brackets to push against the rungs in order to counteract the force acting through the supporting pad 21. Thus, referring to FIG. 4, the roof 15 exerts a force 35 on the pad 2']. which is counteracted by the lower rung 3:1 exerting a force 36 on the bracket and the upper rung 31 exerting a force 37 on the bracket.

When the ladder is being placed in position to be supported by the roof, means are necessary to retain the rungs 31 in the recesses 27 and 30. This means comprises four U-shaped resilient members 40 as shown in detail in FIG. 3. The members 40 are mounted at their base portions 41 to the brackets 11 by means of bolts 42. Each of the U-shaped resilient members '40 has a pair of legs 45 which curve first inwardly at 46 and then outwardly at 47 to provide a configuration which will securely hold a rung of the ladder therein. Thus, the brackets 11 remain firmly secured to the ladder 16 when it is moved from place to place.

Each of the brackets III is secured to the supporting pad 21 by means of connecting elements 50. Each of the connecting elements 50 has a reduced end portion 51 which is threaded to receive a cap nut 55. The reduced end portions 51 are rotatable about axes 56 by reason of the reduced end portions 51 having smaller diameter than the cylindrical bores 57 in the brackets through which the reduced end portions extend. Each of the connecting elements 50 is crooked and has a portion 60 which is parallel to the respective axis 56 and is spaced from the axis 56. At the end of the portion 60 of each element 50, there is mounted a ball 61 which is received in a socket 62 secured to the pad 21. It can be appreciated that because of the rotatable connection of the elements 50 to the brackets .11 and because of the ball-and-socket connection of the elements 50 to the supporting pad 21, the brackets 11 can be adjusted from the solid line positions shown in FIG. 2 to the dotted line positions shown in FIG. 2 and to various intermediate positions. Such adjustment positions the brackets closer to one another or farther apart from one another so that the brackets can be mounted upon ladders of different sizes.

The brackets 11 are connected by a stabilizing bar 65 which consists of two members 66 and 67 connected by an externally knurled member 70. The member 70 is rotatably mounted on the member 67 and is threaded onto the member'66 so that the spacing of the brackets 11 can be adjusted by rotating member 70. The members 66 and 6 7 are fixed to respective ones of the brackets 11. The stabilizing bar 65 provides strength and rigidity to the stepladder accessory.

It will be evident from the above description that the present invention provides an improved ladder accessory which is relatively easily and quickly attached or detached from a ladder. It will also be evident from the above description that the present invention provides a ladder accessory which is easily and quickly adjustable to fit ladders of different sizes yet which is stable and well integrated.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims are also desired to be protected.

The invention claimed is:

1. An attachment for ladders having rungs comprising a pair of brackets, each of said brackets having a pair of recesses adapted to receive and engage adjacent rungs of the ladder, means holding said brackets in adjustable spaced relation, support means secured to said brackets and adapted to engage an object against which the ladder is'supported, said brackets being elongated, the recesses of each pair of recesses being on opposite longitudinal sides of their respective brackets, each of said brackets being adapted to operate as a beam with the force from said objectacting in a direction to bend said brackets, and said force counteracted at the engagement of said rungs with said brackets at said recesses.

2. An attachment for ladders having rungs comprising a pair of brackets, each of said brackets having a pair of recesses adapted to receive and engage adjacent rungs of the ladder, means holding said brackets in adjustable spaced relation, support means secured to said brackets and adapted to engage an object against which the ladder is supported, said support means comprises a pad, a pair of sockets secured to said pad, a pair of balls each in a respective one of said sockets, a pair of elongated connecting elements each secure-d at one end to a respective ball and at the other end ,rotatably mounted about an axis on a respective bracket, said connecting elements being crooked with the respective balls offset from the respective axes whereby pivoting of said connecting elements about their axes moves said brackets together or apart.

3. An attachment for ladders having rungs comprising a pair of brackets, each of said brackets having a pair of recesses adapted to receive and engage adjacent rungs of the ladder, means holding said brackets in adjustable spaced relation, support means secured to said brackets and adapted to engage an object against which the ladder is supported, said support means comprises a pad, a pair of elongated connecting elements each rotatably mounted at one end about a respective axis to a respective bracket and rotatably mounted at the other end to said pad, said connecting elements being crooked With the connection to said pad being spaced from the respective axis whereby pivoting of said connecting elements about their axes m-oves said brackets together or apart.

4. The attachment of claim 1 additionally comprising a plurality of resilient U-shaped members each mounted at its base on a respective bracket in a respective one of said recesses and each having a pair of legs adapted to grip one of said rungs to retain said rung in the respective recess.

5. The attachment of claim 4 wherein said support means comprises a pad, a pair of sockets secured to said pad, a pair of balls each in a respective one of said sockets, a pair of elongated connecting elements each secured at one end to a respective ball and at the other end rotatably mounted about an axis on a respective bracket, said connecting elements being crooked With the respective balls offset from the respective axes whereby pivoting of said connecting elements about their axes moves said brackets together or apart.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,004,284 9/1911 Lehmann 182-121 X 1,179,391 4/1916 Bachman 182-108 X 2,432,189 12/1947 Bucher et a1 182214 FOREIGN PATENTS 44,268 9/1934 France.

REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN ATTACHMENT FOR LADDERS HAVING RUNGS COMPRISING A PAIR OF BRACKETS, EACH OF SAID BRACKETS HAVING A PAIR OF RECESSES ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AND ENGAGE ADJACENT RUNGS OF THE LADDER, MEANS HOLDING SAID BRACKETS IN ADJUSTABLE SPACED RELATION, SUPPORT MEANS SECURED TO SAID BRACKETS AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AN OBJECT AGAINST WHICH THE LADDER IS SUPPORTED, SAID BRACKETS BEING ELONGATED, THE RECESSES OF EACH PAIR OF RECESSES BEING ON OPPOSITE LONGITUDINAL SIDES OF THEIR RESPECTIVE BRACKETS, EACH OF SAID BRACKETS BEING ADAPTED TO OPERATE AS A BEAM WITH THE FORCE FROM SAID OBJECT ACTING IN A DIRECTION TO BEND SAID BRACKETS, AND SAID FORCE COUNTERACTED AT THE ENGAGEMENT OF SAID RUNGS WITH SAID BRACKETS AT SAID RECESSES. 